Are we living longer: Fact or fiction?
Students will conduct a supported investigation into mortality rates within their local historical cemetery and
use this information to detect patterns, variations, relationships and trends and explain and communicate to
others how these have changed over time.
Curriculum
links
Principles
• High expectations
• Cultural diversity
1
• Learning to learn
• Community engagement
• Coherence
Key
Competencies
• Thinking
2
• Using language symbols and
text
• Managing self
• Relating to others
• Participating and contributing
Levels 3, 4 & 5
Learning Areas
Values
• Explore with empathy the
values of others
• Learn to accept different kinds
of values – social & cultural
• Learn about the values on
which NZs cultural &
institutional traditions are
based.
3
Learning Areas:
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Level Three: Mathematics and Statistics
Statistical investigation.
Conduct investigations using the statistical enquiry cycle: Students can,



Gather, sort and display multivariate category and whole number data and simple time series data to answer
questions.
Identify patterns and trends in context within and between data sets.
Communicate findings using data displays.
Statistical literacy
Students can evaluate the effectiveness of different displays in representing the findings of a statistical investigation
activity undertaken by others.
Level Four: Mathematics and Statistics
Statistical investigation.
Plan and conduct investigations using the statistical enquiry cycle: Students can,




Determine appropriate variables and data collection methods.
Gather, sort and display multivariate category, measurement, and time-series data to detect patterns
variations, relationships and trends.
Compare distributions visually.
Communicate findings using appropriate displays.
Statistical literacy
Students can evaluate statements made by others about the findings of statistical investigations.
Level Five: Mathematics and Statistics
Statistical investigation.
Plan and conduct investigations using the statistical enquiry cycle: Students can,






Determine appropriate variables and measures.
Consider sources of variation.
Gather and clean data.
Use multiple displays and re-categorise data to find patterns, variations, relationships and trends in
multivariate data sets.
Compare sample distributions using methods of centre spread and proportion.
Present a report on findings.
Statistical literacy
Students can evaluate statistical investigations undertaken by others including data collection methods, choice of
methods and validity of findings.
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Learning Areas
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Level Three, Four & Five – Social Sciences
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Strand: Identity, Culture and Organisation
Students learn about society and community and how they functioned in the past in ways that are both
similar and different to today.
Level 3 students gain knowledge skills and experience relating to the following concepts

Understand how cultural practices may vary but reflect similar purposes.
Students can
Describe the issues that impacted on health and lifestyle in the Victorian era and
explain the extent to which these conditions were different in the past as are reflected
in the mortality rates in our heritage cemeteries. Explain that people in the Victorian
era lived, worked, and socialised for the same reasons as we do today but explained
and expressed things in different ways.
Level 4 and 5 students gain knowledge skills and experience relating to the following concepts

Understand that events have causes and effects
Students can
explain that lack of knowledge about health care, causes of disease, lack of social
support for the poor, inadequate and overcrowded living conditions and unsafe work
practices could impact greatly on the lives of people in the past.

Understand that people move between places and that this has consequences for people and the
places.
Students can
Explain that new immigration could and did bring great advantages and also new
dangers to new and fragile communities in the colony. Students can describe and
comment on some of the actions and reactions Victorian New Zealanders displayed to
new immigrants.
Settings
In this module we investigate mortality within the context of the New Zealand cemetery. A range of
activities allow students to research and investigate explore child and young adult mortality and the
reasons for it in the initial period of New Zealand’s European settlement, that is about 1850 to about 1920.
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Introduction to the cemetery
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Learning outcomes
Explore students existing knowledge of cemeteries and develop some preliminary
understandings from students about why they exist?
What do students know about cemeteries?
Using the postbox technique place the following
questions around the room and have students write their
answers on a slip of paper and place in a box at each
station.
Pre-visit Activities -Activity 1
Activity
1
1
Have you been to a
cemetery? Who did you
go with and why did
you go?
2
2
Write
Write down
down 4
4 or
or 5
5
items
you
would
items you would see
see ifif
you
you visited
visited a
a
cemetery.
cemetery.
3
What do you think you
might learn about the
past from visiting a
cemetery?
4
How old do you think
some of our cemeteries
are?
Why do you think we
have cemeteries?
6
Why do you think
cemeteries are
important to people?
5
When students have completed responses to all or
most of the stations, regroup students and have them
collate the answers and display ideas on poster-sized
paper or present as an Inspiration™ graphic.
This is an ideal opportunity to discuss the nature and
purpose of cemeteries with students and clarify any
misunderstandings they may have. Download and
show the “Introducing Cemeteries” PowerPoint slide
show to support an introductory discussion.
4
Introducing the cemetery: Developing a cemetery vocabulary
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Pre-visit Activities
Activity 2
Have students make use of the Glossary and make up a criss-cross puzzle for another
class group to solve at Discovery Education’s Puzzlemaker website at
http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp
Alternatively you as teacher can select words and set up a criss-cross or other puzzle for
students.
Teachers unfamiliar with Puzzlemaker may like to use the puzzles provided. A glossary
is provided with the activity sheets.
Activity 3
Map activities. Introduce students to cemetery maps. Explain the different kinds of maps
available and the purpose of schematic maps. Discuss with students why cemetery maps
are needed and how the maps work. Have students do some preliminary activities
locating various objects, blocks and find approximate location of various plots using
these maps. Both aerial and schematic maps are provided. Cemetery maps are available
with the teacher and student resources that are part of this unit.
Activity 4
Introduce students to the items they will encounter at the cemetery. Download and show
students the PowerPoint slideshow called “Introducing the Cemetery”.
Some Fact Sheets that introduce students to some of the wide range of memorials they
are likely to encounter are available for download. It is suggested that teachers print two
or three of each and laminate them for general class use.
Activity 5
Discuss with student expected behaviour at the cemetery. An information sheet is
provided.
Discuss with students the worksheets, and reading of inscriptions and the need to work
together to decipher some of the more difficult inscriptions. Encourage them to try and
decipher as much as they can. It does get easier with practice.
Make sure students take digital cameras, a reliable pen, a clip board or other form of firm
writing surface, and a small calculator as they may prefer to work out ages on site.
ENJOY YOUR CEMETERY VISIT
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Preparing for a cemetery visit: Cemetery Maps 1
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Obtaining cemetery maps.
Before you start this activity you may wish to introduce your students to some mapping work.
You will need to obtain maps of your local cemetery. These are sometimes available online but you may
need to visit your local historical society, museum, information centre or library to obtain what you need. If
all else fails the Genealogy Society of New Zealand have produced a series on cemetery headstone
transcriptions. These often contain hand-drawn maps and are available from your local library or history
society.
Online schematic maps are available of many cemeteries. You need to search for these on your local city
council or public library website. An alternative is the Kiwi Celts website at
http://fhr.kiwicelts.com/Cemeteries/NZ_Cem.html
These maps usually
provide an overview of the
whole cemetery with
blocks numbered. Some
maps have the individual
plots mapped and
numbered but not all
cemeteries provide this
level of detail. If you can
Try and locate detailed
maps that show individual
plots.
Satellite maps from
Google vary considerably
in quality and generally do
not allow the user a clear
view of individual graves.
Dunedin City Council
provides an excellent
webmap service of the city
in which cemeteries are
clearly marked and blocks
and graves can be seen.
Aerial photographs can be
obtained from
http://www.dunedin.govt.n
z/council-online/webmaps
And
http://www.dunedin.govt.n
z/WebMap/viewer.htm?city
Overview photograph of
Dunedin’s Northern
Cemetery provided by the
Dunedin City Council.
Used with permission.
Preparing for a cemetery visit: Cemetery Maps 1
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Teacher Answer Sheet
\
1
2
Key to Map
3
1
Car park
2
Modern memorial to
Thomas Bracken
3
Sexton’s cottage, now
an interpretive centre
+ toilets
5
4
Cemeteries are laid out with sealed roads and grass paths, and in blocks and individual sections called
plots in much the same way as a suburb in a town. Each block and plot is numbered.
Students can answer these questions using their schematic map.
1. Locate blocks 1,2,3 & 4, on this aerial map.
2. What blocks are inside the circle labeled 4 and triangle 5?
Overview photograph of Dunedin’s Northern Cemetery provided by the Dunedin City Council. Used with
permission.
Preparing for a cemetery visit: Cemetery Maps 2
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Information sheet: Schematic map of the Northern Cemetery
This is a schematic map of the same south west section of Dunedin’s Northern Cemetery
as the aerial map. The map shows Block numbers. To find an individual grave or plot within the
cemetery you may need to look at the mortuary records. Keeping track of where everyone was
buried was one of the jobs of the cemetery sexton. Today we can check where people are buried
online using the following databases;
the Northern cemetery database at
http://www.northerncemetery.org.nz/northerncemetery/application/dynamic/contacts.cfm
and the City of Dunedin Cemeteries database at
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries_search
Find the following people and mark
them with a dot on the map on the
left. Find these graves when you
visit the cemetery.
Robert A Lawson who
designed many of Dunedin’s
fine old buildings including the
Dunedin Town Hall and Otago Boys’
High School, is buried in Block 8
Plot 7.
1
1
Sir Thomas MacKenzie
who was a Prime Minister
and High Commissioner for New
Zealand, is buried in Block 43A
Plot 0.
2
4
Alexander Livingston who
was drowned in the wreck of
the S.S.Tararua is buried in Block 2
Plot 16.
3
3
2
William Cutten arrived in
Otago on the John Wickliffe
and married a daughter of Captain
Cargill. With Julius Vogel he
established the Otago Daily Times
newspaper in 1861. He is buried in
Block 3 Plot 7.
4
Preparing for a cemetery visit: Cemetery safety and etiquette
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Specific learning outcomes
Students understand the behaviour that is expected of them when they visit the cemetery.
Information sheet: Student do’s and don’ts in a cemetery
 Dress appropriately for the visit. Solid lace-up footwear for uneven and often steep
surfaces is necessary. Warm coats, raincoats and sunhats are advisable.
 Take a rubbish bag with you. There are no rubbish receptacles at most cemeteries.
Make sure that everything you take into the cemetery you also take away with you.
Don’t leave litter.
 Keep with your group. Do not wander off by yourself.
 Move around the cemetery on the sealed and grass paths. Do not run across what
appear to be empty spaces. Many plots do not have headstones or other markers
but people are buried there.
 Never move a gravestone or plot fencing.
 Do not sit on, lean against, push against, or try to climb headstones.
 Do not scratch at or try to clean headstones. If you have a water bottle with you, you
can wet the headstone to make it easier to read and photograph.
 No crayon or pencil rubbings of headstones are allowed.
 You may need to walk over a grave to better read an inscription. Please do this with
respect.
 Be mindful of other visitors in the cemetery. A cemetery is a special place for many
visitors who come to pay their respects for deceased relatives. To show respect for
the thoughts and feelings of others by behaving quietly is important.
IMPORTANT
 Not all cemeteries are closed to burials. If you arrive to find a burial service in
progress you will need to move away to another part of the cemetery until the
service is over.
At the cemetery : Data collection
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Specific learning outcomes
Students conduct a statistical investigation on approximately 20 – 25 headstones using the in-depth study
area worksheets and accompanying maps. Students understand the importance of the way they collect and
record data for a statistical inquiry and are encouraged to be consistent and methodical in carrying out the
steps in the data collection and recording process.
General Notes for Teachers
Print out the resource packets and student recording sheets
for each of the study areas chosen. Provide one set for each
study group. You may decide to have more than one study
group working each area. If so start a second group at a
different starting point to the one suggested.
Students need clipboards and pens. If digital cameras are
available encourage them to photograph the headstones
especially if you wish to extend the inquiry as a result of this
part of the investigation.
Students record the inscription details on their worksheets. On
some graves where there is no detail other than a name some
information may have been pre-recorded on the student
sheets.
It is suggested that students record the name, date of death
and age in full. Students can later check the cemeteries
databases and fill out any missing details. Ages are often not
provided for more recent interments. Sometimes dates are not
provided. Some students could be encouraged to write in
initials only if they are having difficulty. Including names helps
to avoid doubling up or missing information recorded if
students are distracted.
Reading headstone inscriptions can be tricky. Lettering can be
missing or hard to read in certain lights. Forming a shadow
with a coat can sometimes be helpful. Inscriptions can often
be confusing to comprehend. Generally where there is a death
there is a date and age. Make sure your students are aware
of the pitfalls.
Northern Cemetery
Area 1 – Blocks 43, 43A and 44
Area 4 – Blocks 100 and 28
Area 2 – Blocks 42, part 41 and part 196
Area 5 – Blocks 106 and 107
Area 3 – Blocks 2 and 3
Area 6 – Blocks 108, 101, 111 and 112
After the cemetery visit : Data analysis
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Specific learning outcomes
Students transfer data collected onto a scatter plot worksheet. Students working at Levels 3, 4 and
5 can make some tentative observations based on the completed scatter graph about changing
mortality over time. Students working at level 4 and 5 can find age mean and modes per decade
and deepen initial observations.
Statistical Analysis Activities
Activity 1
Students work in cemetery groups or in pairs and transfer the year of death and age at
death data from their recording sheets on the scatter plot graph sheets. Use the
worksheet provided for this. Older students might prefer to use an Excel spreadsheet.
Activity 2
Students enter the age data by decade. If a person aged 42 died in 1876 that
information will be placed in the decade 1870 to 1879. The decade information starts
at 1850. Dunedin’s Northern Cemetery opened on the 1st April 1872. The information
finishes in 2000. Dunedin’s Northern and Southern cemeteries are now closed for
burials except for the interment of ashes in family plots but many smaller cemeteries
are still open for burials.
Activity 3
It is suggested that students write in the actual age of each person into the decade cell
as follows.
29 - 20
26
19 - 10
14
18 / 19/ 18
9-0
71/2 / 5 / 3
1/ 8/ 6/ 5
6/5/8
6wks/
2mths
1850 – 1859
3 days/
6 mths/
1860 – 1869
3 mths/
0-1
YEAR
1870 – 1879
This method makes it easier to make visual observations from the data in the scatter
graph. Encourage students to raise questions about their specific graphs.
Activity 4
Students working at levels 4 and 5 can insert their scatter plot information into Excel
and develop bar charts to show the numbers of deaths by decade for their particular
area.
Statistical Analysis Activities Continued…
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Students can also produce bar charts to show mortality within particular age bands over
time. Comparative bar charts could be developed for each area for children and teens
over the last 150 years and for people reaching old age.
Activity 5
Level 4 and 5 students are also encouraged to re-categorise the data. They can
calculate mean and mode ages of death for each decade to find or enhance patterns,
variations and trends. Encourage these students to consider the social conditions of the
times when they are thinking about patterns.
Activity 6
Students at all levels can prepare presentations of their data. Students observe and
compare data presented by other groups in the class. What are the similarities to their
own data? What are the differences to their own data?
Activity 7
information will be placed in the decade 1870 to 1879. The decade information starts at 1850.
st April 1858. The information finishes in 2000.
Southern
Cemeterythe
opened
the 1
AsDunedin’s
a class activity
combine
data.onThis
activity
is particularly worthwhile if the class
Dunedin’s Northern and Southern cemeteries are now closed for burials except for the inurnment
has worked over a number of sites. Students can use other mortality records available
of ashes in family plots but many smaller cemeteries are still open for burials.
the data to see if there are different patterns variations between town and country.
It is suggested that students write in the actual age of each person into the decade cell as follows.
Notes for teachers.
26
29 - 20
The scatter plot graphs show some interesting changes in mortality over time.
14
18 / 19/ 18
19 - 10
1. Graphs should show
a large number of children’s deaths (under the age of 10) especially from the 1860s to the
71/2 / 5 / 3 1/ 8/ 6/ 5
6/5/8
1880s
9
0
2. The number of deaths of children under 10 decrease from the 1890s onwards.
3 days/and young
3 mths/
3. Graphs should show a greater6wks/
number of teens
adults (those in their 20s and 30s) dying in the
2mths
6
mths/
0
1
1860s to 1900s
1850 numbers
–
1860
–
1870
– their 70s and 80s from about 1900 onwards
4. Graphs should also show greater
of people
living
into
YEAR
1859
1869
1879
This method makes it easier to make visual observations from the data in the scatter graph.
Activity
8
Encourage
students to raise questions about their specific graphs.
Have students collect the death notices section from the local newspaper over several
days and plot the age at death for people today on the scatter graph chart. Have
students compare mortality rates today with those of the past.
Activity 9
Encourage students to observe changes and suggest from their evidence some possible
reasons for changing mortality over time. Discuss with students the central question of the
unit , “Are we living longer? Fact or Fiction!”
Teachers may wish to complete the unit at this point. However the statistics unit provides an excellent opportunity for
teachers to encourage students to further inquire into the reasons for changing mortality rates over time in their local
community.
Further student explorations into the mortality surveys
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Factors affecting the life span of early New Zealanders
A mortality survey using an historic cemetery as a primary source opens the door for students to
follow up on some of the questions that are likely to emerge from their statistical studies. It is
suggested that students use an inquiry methodology to ask, develop and refine questions and to
follow up on the questions with information gathering from a wide variety of sources, analyse their
information and present their findings either online or to a live audience.
A challenge for students would be to find which of the changes may have had the most marked
affect and at what points of time. Download the file timeline.pdf. This is a good starting point for
students to find out what possible reasons for many people living shorter lives were and reference
point for individual or group inquiries.
No taps! How did people in your town/city get their water? Investigate the changing
conditions of the local water supply. Investigate the links with diseases such as typhoid and
cholera. Find out about when improvements to the water supply were made.
1
No flush toilets! What did people do? The water closet or flush toilet that we use today
was not in common use in Victorian times in New Zealand. Why not? What did people use in
the way of toilets? Find out what a privy is? Find out what an earth closet is? Find out what a
cesspool is?
2
3
No pulling the bath or the sink plug! Have a look at sewerage and effluent disposal.
Investigate the links with diseases such as typhoid, and cholera. Find out about when
improvements to the effluent disposal were made.
4
No wheelie bins or “Insinkerators”! Investigate how household and commercial garbage
was disposed of in your town.
5
No lights! How did people see at night? The use of candles and kerosene lamps often
had consequences for people living in cramped conditions and wooden houses.
No heaters or heat pumps! What did poor heating, and poor building-construction, mean?
What did people do to keep warm? Investigate the links with diseases resulting from close
living in small, damp and cold houses, such as scarlet fever, influenza, colds, asthma, and
tuberculosis.
6
7
No Microwaves! and how was food prepared without the flick of a switch to turn on the
oven How did families in Victorian times cook food? What did they use?
No refrigerators! How did housewives store food? What sort of food-handling methods
were used? Find out how butchers handled meat for their customers. Investigate the links
with such diseases as diarrhoea, food poisoning, and intestinal parasites, hydatids, and
unpasteurised milk.
8
Further student explorations into the mortality surveys
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Factors affecting the life span of early New Zealanders
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9
No domestic or commercial fire alarms. Investigate the development of the fire brigade in
your town and some of the terrible commercial building and house fires that occurred.
Investigate some of the reasons for these fires.
10 Poor hospital practices and limited health care! What did people do when they suffered
from disease injury or toothache? How were young mothers helped with looking after babies
and children. How were the elderly cared for? Students may like to investigate these aspects of the
lowering of infant mortality and the increasing number of elderly over time.
11 Limited vaccines and no antibiotics! Diseases caught in other countries and brought into
New Zealand by immigrants from many different countries were quite a problem. Investigate
the links with small pox, diphtheria and tuberculosis. Students can investigate the various
solutions to this problem over time and can even investigate how this problem, which still exists, is
handled today!
12 No tar-sealed roads! Find out about the first roads in your local area. Find out about later
road conditions and road surfaces. What were the problems caused by unsealed roads?
What were the problems caused by horses on unsealed roads.
No cars, trucks or bikes! How did people move around! Students might like to have a look
13 at and timeline the invention of new modes of transport and the effect this would have had on
bringing horses into the centres of growing cities. How was manure from live animals dealt with?
Investigate links with fly-borne diseases such as diarrhoea.
No separate bedroom! Houses were much smaller in the Victorian era and
14 families were much larger. Investigate health problems that would be caused by
overcrowding and poor living conditions such as tuberculosis, scarlet fever and
diphtheria.
Note: Each of these themes could be investigated to some considerable
depth for there is much to find on each theme. However some themes could
be joined into a single theme for example “No toilets!” and “No pulling the
bath or sink plug!”
Also “No hard roads!” and “No cars, trucks or buses!” also “Limited hospital
services!” and “No vaccines, or antibiotics!” could also be merged into a single
theme for student exploration.
Further student explorations into the mortality
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The Old Cromwell Cemetery
This clipboard pack provides students with mortality records for three Blocks of the
Old Cromwell Cemetery. This includes material on date age and cause of death for
about 90 burials. Students can use the mortuary records to complete similar mortality
charts to find out whether the charts for a rural township show similar patterns and
trends to a larger urban area such as Dunedin.
Quarantine Island – Otago Harbour
This clipboard pack provides information, newspaper clippings from the times, fact
sheets and links to further information about Dunedin’s Quarantine Island, which was
used to detain ships and passengers arriving at Port Chalmers that had outbreaks of
communicable diseases such as small pox, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, measles and
diphtheria during the journey to New Zealand. A list of burials in the Island cemetery is
provided as well as information about various memorable ships that arrived in Otago
including the Victory in 1863, the Lady Jocelyn, the Charlotte Gladstone, the Mongol
and the Cloucester.
Evidence of Epidemics
This clipboard pack provides information assembled for students about some of the
epidemics that are evident if we look carefully at our local cemeteries. The pack
contains information about the virulent typhoid epidemic in Cromwell in 1874, three
tombstones where children died from scarlet fever that can be found in Dunedin’s
Northern cemetery, a case where a family has died of measles in Dunedin’s Southern
Cemetery, three family deaths involving consumption at the Waitati Cemetery,
situated north of Dunedin, and a look at the 1918 flu epidemic at Dunedin’s
Anderson’s Bay Cemetery.
Fires!
This clipboard pack provides information, newspaper clippings from the times, fact
sheets and links to further information about the dangers of living with open fires for
heating, colonial ovens for cooking, and candles and kerosene lamps for lighting.
Some of Dunedin’s worst fires are relived in the press cuttings, and cemetery trails for
this resource pack.
Timeline of possible reasons for changes in mortality rates!
What were the cases of such high rates of mortality in early New Zealand. This
clipboard pack includes a timeline of changes to water supplies, sanitation, food
handling practices and more, which may have impacted on the death rates.
Further student explorations into the mortality surveys
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References - Online
Encourage students to find out more about the people who are buried and
commemorated here.
1. There are a number of young men in this area killed in action and interred in
commonwealth war graves. The following websites are recommended for
students
i. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website is
searchable at http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp?menuid=14
Students can find out where these men are actually buried and other
military details such as rank, and battalion or regiment served.
ii. The Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database is also searchable and
is at
http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/cenotaph/locations.asp
x
2. It is often useful to search your local Cemetery Database if students wish to
find out about the occupation and origin of the early settlers on these in
depth study areas. These details are not always included but often are,
especially for a male.
 To locate the appropriate databases for your area it is recommended
you use the Kiwi Celts website, New Zealand Cemeteries, page at
http://fhr.kiwicelts.com/Cemeteries/NZ_Cem.html
 There is also
 Christchurch City Council Cemeteries database at
http://librarydata.christchurch.org.nz/Cemeteries/
 Wellington City Council Cemeteries database at
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/cemeteries/search/search.php
 Cemeteries in Auckland are best searched for using either Google or
The map locator at Kiwi Celts
http://fhr.kiwicelts.com/Cemeteries/NZ_Cem.html as there is no one
centralized cemeteries database.
3. The National Library Papers Past website is an excellent primary source to
find out about accident deaths. Obituaries are an excellent source of
biographical information. Available at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ Papers
Past contains more than one million pages of digitised New Zealand
newspapers and periodicals. The collection covers the years 1840 to 1915
and includes publications from all regions of New Zealand.
4. The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/
This website contains over 3,000 biographies of New Zealanders who have
'made their mark' on New Zealand and includes many local people.